I knew I wanted to pursue a teaching career during my junior and senior of high school as a pre-AP Algebra II and AP-Calculus AB student with one of the best teachers I have had. My high school experiences gave me a positive experience and I wanted to replicate that for other students who are interested in expanding their own education. The main reason why I experienced a rewarding time as a mathematics student was because my teacher made it worthwhile, enjoyable, and she had high expectations for us. These are good attributes for a teacher and I wanted to provide a classroom with a positive and encouraging environment for students as well.
That high school experience carried me through my college years and now I’m on the verge of finishing my undergraduate career with two degrees and a teaching certificate. Along the way of finishing my undergraduate career, I’ve also change my perspective on teaching and education. I still believe a teacher should have the attributes I mentioned, but I also think a teacher is irreplaceable if they can connect classroom content with the outside world. The ideal education for a student would consist of an interdisciplinary education. Not only does this kind of education connect all subjects in school and makes it relevant for students, but it is also enjoyable and rich for anyone involved. An interdisciplinary education teaches students different ways to be a community member, and this is something that is not regularly taught at schools.
I believe all students should receive a high and rich quality education, but this is certainly not the case. As an educator it will be my responsibility to provide a good quality education, but I also want to provide a classroom that encourages students to think critically about the world around them. One of the ways I can do this with my own students is by first teaching them about the history behind math. For example, what was happening during a particular era that led scientists and mathematicians to develop the central limit theorem? Why did it become common practice to write proofs in mathematics? Answering these questions provides the minimum relevance in a mathematics classroom.
Additionally, teaching a particular subject and intertwining it with several other school subjects exposes students to work that is being done by professionals outside of school. This kind of practice expands students perception of the real world and the work required to keep it as we currently know it.
Thus, my teaching philosophy has grown since finishing high school and starting college. As a high school student, I wanted to provide a positive environment for my students while making their education worthwhile and setting high standards. My teaching philosophy still includes this, but I want to expand conventional classrooms and provide an interdisciplinary education for students in order to help them see the relevancy of what they are learning to the outside world.